The effect of 1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide on acute viral hepatitis.

We studied the effect of 1-beta-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-traizole-3-carboxamide (ribavirin) on 66 patients with acute viral hepatitis, by a double-blind study. Thirty-three of these patients received the active drug and the other 33 received a placebo. The effect of ribavirin was evaluated by the clinical picture and by the changes in both direct and total serum bilirubin and in the activity of serum glutamic-pyruvic and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminases. There was a significant decrease in serum bilirubin, SGOT, and SGPT from the 5th to 10th day of treatment in the ribavirin group. In the placebo group such a decrease was observed but was not statistically significant.